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Talk:Jeff and Annie/@comment-5679407-20140809061312
''"Ok, I love Community, and maybe it's because I just got interested in the show last month and maybe it's because of watching all five seasons in a brief amount of time instead of several years, but I don't get this pairing at all. Chemistry, sure, but Harmon was clearly trying to experiment with something more three dimensional than that (ie Jeff and Britta's chemical lack of chemistry, playing their pairing out of order instead of sequentially as with Jeff and Annie). Also, it seemed clear that both the sleazy Jeff early on and Evil Jeff were more interested in sleeping with Annie than the more mature Jeff later on, so it's not likely he'll just grow out of his personal issues with dating someone nearly half his age. Speaking of which, not only does Jeff have an issue with that, so does Annie. Jeff has paternalistic feelings for Annie, who in Cooperative Polygraphy was revealed to call him her uncle in front of other people. That raises huge Oedipis complex implications. If all this couple has going for it is chemistry, that's not very impressive. I just don't get this at all." '' The Oedipus complex has been played on more specifically than that. In "Remedial Chaos Theory" Annie even mentions that Jeff saying, "you're important to me" reminded her of her father, just after they kissed. I, however, don't see this as a problem. Human sexuality is convoluted. One can say that all sexual relationships are slightly "oedipal," in that one's parents are significant factors in one's psychosexual development. If a male has a good relationship with his mother, it's likely that he'd seek a mate that mimics her traits. The same is true for females. Cultural mores reflect natural aversions to incest, so it's not surprising that Jeff takes it the wrong way, when Annie makes that comparison. Her father is supposed to be someone who bears no sexual prospect for her. And if he does, it's taboo. So either way, it did not do well for Jeff's prospects. Also, highlighting the age difference makes for good comedy. Jeff's paternalism is also explained in "Geography of Global Conflict." He finds it easier to treat her like a kid because it puts distance between him and his actual feelings for her. He states, "...or when you feel the way that I feel about you, the easy loophole through the creepiness and danger is to treat them like a child. 'Chip off the ol' block.' 'You're the best, kiddo.' It's a crutch -- it's a way for me to tell you how important you are from a distance." This is what I like about Community -- their relationships are incredibly nuanced. The group's dyamic was set up in a way where almost anyone of them could be perfect for the other, while simultaneously maintaining dubious prospects. As for their chemistry being the only bastion of the relationship, I don't know what more you're looking for. Television shows could only be so expansive -- unless a character provides a laundry list of what they prefer in another character, you're left to make your own interpretations based on their dynamic. We could only assume that they love each other for the same reasons that we as an audience love them. Annie is smart, witty, quirky, driven, self-possessed and has a funny set of neuroses. Jeff is witty, sarcastic, confident, protective and has a jaded, albeit, "good" heart. I'm not going to indulge this notion of "compatability" since there's no sure formula. For example, I can provide a list of traits exhibited by my girlfriend that I find likable. That, however, does not inform why I'm into her. Exhibiting those traits alone would offer no distinction between a platonic prospect and a sexual/romantic one. However, exhibiting chemistry would. So while chemistry may not inform all of a relationship's dynamic, it is a defining factor.